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Satanic display draws heat — is damaged at Florida Capitol

The Satanic Temple holiday display in the Florida Capitol Rotunda wasn’t up long before it drew some heat.

A Tallahassee woman was arrested Tuesday for criminal mischief when she tried to tear apart the three-sided diorama of an angel falling into flames after telling Capitol Police “she was sorry and had to take the Satanic display.”

Susan Hemeryck, 54, a tea party activist in Tallahassee, was briefly stopped by police after attempting to remove the display shortly before noon.

But when an officer tried to put the “Happy Holidays” display back in its place down the hall from Gov. Rick Scott’s office, Hemeryck said “she could not stand for it anymore.” She reached out and began ripping the display apart, police said.

Hemeryck was booked at the Leon County Jail. Later, attorneys for the organization which helped the New York-based Satanic Temple win state approval for the display, condemned Hemeryck’s action.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State said:

“This act of mindless vandalism should be condemned by all decent people and all those who support true freedom of religion. It’s important to remember that free speech in an open forum is for all groups, even those whose message some deem controversial or unpopular.

“Our attorneys fought hard for our clients to win the right to display their diorama in the Capitol Rotunda, and we don’t intend to buckle under to this type of senseless destruction. We hope the display is quickly reassembled, and we call on authorities in Florida to prosecute the vandal to the full extent of the law.”

The Satantic Temple display was rejected last year after being deemed “grossly offensive” by state officials. But it won approval this year after Americans United threatened that it would sue the state if the display was blocked while other religious symbols were approved.

A Nativity scene was erected at the Capitol last year and again this month. That has spawned other activists to successfully get state permission the past two years for several displays celebrating atheism, a Festivus pole inspired by TV’s Seinfeld, and another that is called a flying spaghetti monster.

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Happy Kwanza the man made holiday. Everyone go have a drink and relax. Believe what you want to or not to believe in and learn to smile. We have enough problems with the Islam religion beheading people. . Try and enjoy life it is too shor to argue about a carton box. Whoever enjoys their holidays have a happy one

These displays have absolutely nothing to do with separation of Church
and State. To take the discussion there would be to waste time on the
irrelevant.

Separation of Church and State as included in our Constitution simply
means there can be no one religion as the official religion. That is all it is
about. It in no way means Government property should be free of anything to do
with religion. The practice of religion is actively endorsed by our
Constitution.

If the majority want to decorate THEIR gov. buildings for certain
holidays they have every right to do so. If you don’t agree with their beliefs
then you have the right to not decorate your house and nobody can force you to
participate.

“Just a cardboard box”

So next year if the Confederate Church wants to put up a display that
includes cut out figures of black men hanging from strings tied around their
necks to look like a noose it is “Just a cardboard Box”?????

Talk about Ignorance!

No there is a lot more to it than “Just a cardboard Box”. There is the
intent behind the display. There is also the message behind the display.

Unfortunately this woman played right into their little game. She should
have done like most of us and just laughed at the pettiness and small mindedness
of those who put up such a display. How childish can you get!
The man who put up the display has nothing to do with the Satanic Temple
to begin with. He is just another immature and petty atheist who can’t handle
the fact that many do not agree with him so he has to engage in this kind of
child like spitefulness just to try and bother other people. The kind of person who is far to small minded and lacking in character to
be able to handle freedom of religion. No doubt he can’t handle freedom of
speech either.
Most who chose to claim atheism are either Narcissists who want to think
they are their own God or ego centric little children who only care about what
they want and what they want to do and find the idea of any kind of rules or
morality to be inconvenient. Or they are the depraved and perverse who find
anything that resembles morality to be in conflict with their own desires. So as
a matter of convenience they choose to claim not to believe in any God.

The problem is that the religious beliefs of others bother them because
it reminds them of what kind of people they really are. That is why they get
offended and that is why they feel a need to engage in such petty activities as
putting up a display for no other reason than to try to be offensive and to
bother people. They are truly sad and pathetic little people!

The fact that is taking place in the capitol rotunda and sorting out the players in a religious setting as apart of the debate, is outstanding.

When are these numb nuts going to realize it is a display made of cardboard? Nothing more and nothing less. It does has not mystic values, it is not a altar to be bowed to. It is a cardboard box.

To put anything else into it. Is to display a ignorance or perceived treat from a cardboard box. That would be the same type of ignorance that is being displayed by such groups as ISIS and or some other religious person who feels that their God is better then the next God.

If your faith has more rights the any Individual. Then your a faith is flawed.

If your faith feels that is righteous and justified to kill the nonbelievers. Then your faith is flawed.

Spirituality is in the beholder and should be just that. The beholders and not forced on any other individual and that is the battle that this woman has taken upon herself and her ignorance is shining through. She should be treated as any other vandal and suffer as such.

In my world. These silly charades of displays. Displays the very reasons why we are in need of enforcing the separation of Church and State. When that day comes. Take them all down. The rotunda is for politics and not displays.

In civilized countries, when messages are presented that are offensive, but that cannot be countered with rational argumentation, the only reasonable course of action is violent destruction in an attempt to forcibly silence the message. If we are not allowed to forcibly silence messages with which we disagree, then by what means can we satisfy our insecurities and ensure other people will not be able to see those messages?

We should not be forced to tolerate statements that contradict our beliefs.

This is how the Tea Party would behave if they ever got control of our country, attacking and destroying anything and anyone they don't agree with. That's not an America I want to live in.

Isn't their god strong enough to withstand a ridiculous display, or smite it himself if he is so offended? Susan Hemeryck is hardly a hero. She's nothing more than a domestic terrorist, no better than a Taliban fanatic, and should be treated as such, either jailed or confined to a mental institution. Just because she has strong beliefs, or psychotic delusions, that doesn't give her the right to impose her views on the society at large. I've never had anyone try to buttonhole me or knock on my door and lead me to satan. Wish I could say the same for any number of so called christian cultists, like some posters on this forum, who never seem to have their own lives in order but believe that they have all the answers for the rest of us because they believe in a weak, angry, spiteful god.

"Goliath the Phillistine" also had the rights of free speech...and David the Shepherd boy took him down with a single sling shot rock to the temple and cut off his head and handed it back to him...Hoorah!!!.(1 Samuel, Chapter 17) Sure, our Constitutional Rights allow "Freedom and Liberty and Justice for all" of Americans. Unfortunately some of those same freedoms will cause Americans to ignore the Laws of Gods Word...which are much higher than mans laws (Isaiah 55:8-9). Be careful not to trample upon His Sovereign will for this Nation.

This woman is a hero,free her!, maybe the Governor will spring for her bail? After all, he caused it when he wimples out and let the display go in. This is not about free speech, rather, it's about good & evil.

Boys and girls of the jury. Here is your rebuttal, as presented by BadKarma, as to why, this is in fact the very reasons as to "Why". The need and enforcement of the separation of Church and State on any and all, and at all levels of government.

Need I say more on about those who insist on displaying things in the name of religion within the confines of a building that was built to represent the masses of all faiths and not the just faith of the few.

All of this is brought to you, because of the presents of a cardboard box that some take as offensive. Then they feel it righteous to call out those opposed to any religious display, within the confines of any building payed by the taxes of people of all faiths. As ignorant. What a country. The freedom of speech will be the one to end this charade of silly displays, when the debate is all said and done.

Merry Christmas. To the folks who will take this day for what is, for it is your faith
that will make it important to you and the family that comes around you to celebrate this holy day of yours and not the presence of a cardboard
box in the rotunda of the state capitol that will belittle it.

Merry Christmas BadKarma. Even though the thought, and gesture, will befuddle you.

@gethefaxRomans 13: 1-7:1Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God.2So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. 3 For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong. So do what they say, and you will get along well. 4 The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong. 5 So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience. 6Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and import duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due.

(Emphasis mine - but the text is from the bible)

This woman disobeyed the "laws of god" by disobeying the law as set down by the government. So, as a good christian, be sure to obey the law, pay your taxes, oh, and give proper respect and honor to those it is due (like, say, government officials - like, say, the President - after all, ""All governments have been placed in power by god". So no President or other office holder is in their position without the express permission of the almighty. Unless, of course, the bible is NOT the word of god.

@gethefax You are saying, then, that you believe that an appropriate response to free speech is homicide and desecration of a corpse? You are saying that you advocate killing persons who issue statements with which you disagree?

@gethefax Please tell us where in the U. S. Constitution we can find your god's "sovereign will for this nation". That's the document we all live under, not your plagiarized, cobbled together babble bible.

@Fmirmax You are absolutely correct. The best and only truly proper response to offensive speech is destructive vandalism. Otherwise, other people might see statements with which we disagree, and we cannot allow that.

Radical Muslims do not tolerate dissent. Why should we, as Christians, be any better than them?

Freedom of,speech does not mean that devil worshipers have the right to disrupt Christ's birthday celebration by Christians. Satanic worshipers advocate evil by definition, and they advocate doing bad things to good people. What freedom of speech means here is that the Satanic crowd is free to celebrate the Devil's birthday not that they are free to disrupt Christ's birthday commemorations.

@Fmirmax So in your sick, demented mind, there is no right to freedom of speech. If just one individual believes something is evil, that one individual has the right to destroy it. And how many individuals have to believe that you are evil before they have the right to destroy you?

@kenobe1@checkyourpremisesPersonally, I believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster (may he bestow his abundant blessings upon you, but only if you want him to--don't want to force my beliefs on you), but as a freedom loving American, I joyously celebrate your right to right to engage in feats of strength and the airing of grievances at this special time of year. Enjoy you Festivus feast! And all the best in 2015!

@Fmirmax Freedom of Speech does not exist if it only applies to speech you agree with. As to "christ's birthday" - religious scholars will tell you that jesus (if he even existed) was NOT born in December. Rather, the christians co-opted/stole the pagan holidays celebrated at this time of year (yule, saturnalia, and others) in order to convert pagans over to christianity. In fact, due to its pagan origins and practices (caroling, gift-giving, the christmas tree, decorating with lights, the yule log, mistletoe, and many others - all pagan in origin) the celebration of christmas has been banned by various christian denominations many times over the years. If you don't believe me, feel free to look up the history of christmas. You will probably be very surprised.

In addition, christmas is NOT the only holiday celebrated at this time of year. Besides the various pagan celebrations previously mentioned, there are various other celebrations such as festivus, hanukkah, kwanza, bodhi day, pancha ganapati, newtonmas, chalica and many others. So don't think that this is just a christian holiday, because it isn't.

Finally, the government is not allowed to favor one religion over any other. If christians can erect a nativity scene on government property, the satanic temple has every right to erect their display, as do hindus, buddhists, and atheists. You don't like it? You find it offensive? Great! Petition your representative to not allow ANY religious displays on government property! Problem solved!

@Fmirmax Please explain, specifically, how "Satanic worshipers" engaged in disruption of a birthday celebration. Please identify specific "bad things" advocated by the organization that created the Satanic display.

@BadKarma@Jerry P.@gethefax “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.” The onus is on proving the deity exists. Otherwise, I have a nice teapot named Russel to sell you.